The Argentine tango is a beautiful, sexy dance that is having a resurgence around the world. It’s quite different from the ballroom tango you may have seen on Dancing with the Stars.

Because it’s a social dance, you might think it can be danced in any old pair of shoes and it’s true, you can manage with street shoes for a while. But if you’re taking regular classes, it won’t do. There’s a reason why dance shoes exist they make dancing easier, and they protect you from injury.

Genuine tango shoes can be expensive. Luckily, authentic tango shoes aren’t absolutely essential for a beginning student. In fact for women, they are best avoided until you’re more experienced.

Professional Tango Shoes Not for Beginners!You may have Air Jordan 17s heard the saying that “Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels”. That’s also true of tango. As a learner, you have enough on your plate learning the steps, without having to think about your balance.

Even if you’re already accustomed to running in Manolo Blahniks like Sarah Jessica Parker, you’re asking for a sprained ankle if you jump straight in and buy tottering 4 inch heels for your first tango shoe! So, put these gorgeous Mythique tango shoes on your wishlist, and reward yourself when you’ve mastered the basic steps!

Mythique Women’s Tango Ballroom Salsa Latin Leather Dance Shoes SabrinaThese custom made shoes from Buenos Aires are gorgeous to look at and comfortable to dance in, but beginners should start with a lower heel!

The Importance of Air Jordan 20s HeelsAvoiding stilettoes doesn’t mean you should go to the other extreme, and practice in flats.

In a tango couple, the two dancers lean their weight in towards each other. If a couple was in close hold and the male dancer suddenly said “Beam me up Scotty” and winked out of sight, his partner would fall forwards!

That’s why tango shoes, even for men, need heels. And not just any heel it’s positioned on the shoe in a way that keeps your weight over the balls of your feet. Dancing in heels changes your balance significantly, so especially for men, it’s worth getting used to it from the start.

A good compromise for female beginners is a 2 inch to 2.5 inch heel. It’s hard to get real tango shoes in that size heel, but you can get Latin shoes, which have the same “forward pitch”.

Latin Dance ShoesThe only downside of Latin shoes are that they’re very soft and flexible, and most experienced tango dancers would prefer a bit more rigidity but for a beginner, they do a good job at a fraction of the price of a “real” tango shoe.

Latin shoes have another essential an ankle strap, t bar or criss cross straps to keep the shoe securely in place. I don’t recommend sling backs or open shoes for tango, ever.

For men, though, resorting to Latin shoes isn’t really necessary because there are some top men’s tango shoes available at around the same price as a men’s Latin shoe:

The Aris Allen Tango ShoeAris Allen is a US dance shoe company. Their philosophy is that your dancing will look its best if you wear the shoes the dance was invented in. For tango, that’s a 100% hand made leather shoe with a raw leather sole and that description fits the exactly.

Raw leather soles are a special type of leather sole that is either sanded or varnished. They take a few hours to “break in” but once they’ve absorbed the humidity from the air, they’ll perform very like a normal chrome suede dance sole, letting you pivot and turn without losing control. However they’re more durable than suede and don’t need roughing up with a brush. If they’ve picked up dirt, just scuff them on the sidewalk and you’re good to go!

This is not a ballroom shoe it’s designed specifically for tango dancers, with classic styling and that essential higher, stacked leather heel.

A nice feature of the shoe is the supportive foam lining, which cushions the foot for longer comfort on a hard dance floor.

Moving up to IntermediateFor men, there’s no reason to change shoes as you Jordan Pro Strong progress. But for women, it’s a different story. Higher heels are not essential to dance better but most tangueras (female tango dancers) will start to lust after a pair of gorgeous genuine Argentine tango shoes fairly early in their dancing career!

Don’t be in a hurry to go “up”, though. The 3 to 4 inch heels (and higher) heels are designed for dancers who use close embrace, for obvious reasons the more you’re supported by your partner, the less you need to balance on your own. If you’re dancing a more open tango style, then a 2.5 to 3 inch heel Air Jordan 7s is still the recommended height, even for advanced students.

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Follow (1)Comments 8 comments

Teresa Schultz 4 years ago from East London, in South Africa

These tango shoes are certainly gorgeous. My Jordan Winterized 6 Rings 12 year old son recently did a school project on Shirley Temple (so tap dancing shoes featured) but they’re certainly not as pretty as tango shoes. You certainly know your stuff thanks for sharing!

2besure 4 years ago from Charlotte, North Carolina Level 2 Commenter

I love to watch the Tango when it is well done. Have to say you do need the right tango shoes to complete the look! Thank for the idea on Tango shoes.